Eastern Washington surges past Idaho in second half for another 20-plus point victory in Big Sky play

MOSCOW, Idaho – The message never changes. Unfortunately for the Idaho men’s basketball team, neither has the performance lately.

Coming into the second half with defensive intensity is a consistent, key priority for the Vandals, according to coach Alex Pribble. They talk about it in the locker room at halftime of every game.

“It’s about us deciding if we want to lock in and play defense,” said Idaho’s Quinn Denker, who led the Vandals with 15 points against Eastern Washington on Saturday.

In their past three home games, though, the Vandals have let games get away in the second half. Against the Eagles, they saw a four-point halftime deficit turn into an easy 79-58 win for the Eagles.

The Eagles are 9-7 overall and 3-0 in the Big Sky Conference. Idaho slipped to 7-9 and 1-2.

“For 20 minutes, we played real solid basketball tonight,” Pribble said. “The wheels fell off in the second half. We stopped being physical.”

Pribble said the Vandals tend to do well when they are defending in front of their own bench.

When they are at the other end of the floor, he said, they don’t absorb the energy from their bench.

“We need to be more player-driven,” he said.

“We need experience. Guys need to understand what happens if they don’t have that physicality.”

The Eagles exploited the Vandals in the paint and on the perimeter. They outscored Idaho 36-10 inside. They beat the Vandals down the floor for a 15-5 edge in fast-break points, and they hit 6 of 19 3-pointers.

Idaho hit eight 3-pointers but needed 28 attempts .

Widespread flooding in Idaho’s ICCU Arena and Kibbie Dome as a result of burst pipes forced EWU to use a practice court behind the ICCU bleachers as its locker room because its visitor’s locker room was among those damaged.

It hardly knocked the Eagles off their stride. EWU attacked Idaho with balanced scoring. Casey Jones led the Eagles with 14 points, including a forceful dunk on a baseline drive and a 3-for-4 effort at the free-throw line. Ethan Price and LeJuan Watts added 13 points apiece, and Cedric Coward and Mason Williams scored 11 apiece.

The Eagles also blocked nine shots.

“It was a physical game, played in the paint on both sides,” Pribble said.

Pribble said the Vandals “have to attack the rims” and “make the exit passes” when they are confronted by defenders collapsing on them.

Julius Mims gave the Vandals an energetic game, scoring 13 points, pulling down five rebounds and blocking a first-half shot.

Following that block, he saved a backcourt dribble that got away from a teammate, hit an outlet pass and raced downcourt in time to grab an offensive rebound after a missed shot.

“(Mims) is a difference maker on both sides of the floor,” Pribble said. “He’s as talented as anyone in the conference.”

Terren Frank led the Vandals with six rebounds.

The Eagles ran their lead to as high as 23 points with 3:37 to play with a nine-point run.

The run typified Idaho’s dilemma of how to bring more intensity to the game after halftime, Denker said.

“Teams are going to make runs, whether us or the other team,” he said.

“We have got to make sure that during those runs we are getting more than they are.”